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Is COPD In An Elderly Person A Cause For Concern?
Question: Is copd serious ? And what is prognosis ?
Brief Answer:
Yes, COPD is serious if treatment is not started.
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for your question on Health Care Magic.
COPD is chronic obstructive Pulmonary disease.
Smoking is the biggest risk factor for this.
And it is progressive in nature.
So with out treatment it will definitely worsen.
With treatment, we can halt the progression of COPD.
So treatment is must for COPD. And with treatment, prognosis is very good.
Patient can live normal life with regular treatment.
First of all, get done PFT (Pulmonary Function Test).
PFT will tell you about severity of the disease and treatment of COPD is based on severity only.
You may need inhaled bronchodilators and inhaled corticosteroid (ICS).
So better to consult pulmonologist and start appropriate treatment.
Hope I have solved your query.
I will be happy to help you further.
Wish you good health. Thanks.
Yes, COPD is serious if treatment is not started.
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for your question on Health Care Magic.
COPD is chronic obstructive Pulmonary disease.
Smoking is the biggest risk factor for this.
And it is progressive in nature.
So with out treatment it will definitely worsen.
With treatment, we can halt the progression of COPD.
So treatment is must for COPD. And with treatment, prognosis is very good.
Patient can live normal life with regular treatment.
First of all, get done PFT (Pulmonary Function Test).
PFT will tell you about severity of the disease and treatment of COPD is based on severity only.
You may need inhaled bronchodilators and inhaled corticosteroid (ICS).
So better to consult pulmonologist and start appropriate treatment.
Hope I have solved your query.
I will be happy to help you further.
Wish you good health. Thanks.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Neel Kudchadkar
My father is 71 he was a heavy smoker for years . He had a triple bypass in 2011 and then diagnosed with copd .
He's on inhalers and sometimes needs prednisolone . He gets lot of Chet infections and coughing .
What is prognosis like as in years of survival ?
He's on inhalers and sometimes needs prednisolone . He gets lot of Chet infections and coughing .
What is prognosis like as in years of survival ?
Brief Answer:
With proper treatment he can live up to 80-85 years.
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for your follow up question on HCM.
I can understand your concern.
With proper treatment, COPD patients can live up to 80-85 years.
First of all he has to stop smoking as soon as possible.
Enroll himself in Pulmonary Rehabilitation center where chest physiotherapy and deep breathing exercises are done. These will improve his lung functions.
Give him adult Pulmonary vaccines like pneumococcal and Influenza vaccines to prevent recurrent respiratory tract infection.
Please let me know the name of inhaler he is taking.
Also let me know whether he has taken vaccines or not.
I will be happy to help you further. Wishing good health to your father. Thanks.
With proper treatment he can live up to 80-85 years.
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for your follow up question on HCM.
I can understand your concern.
With proper treatment, COPD patients can live up to 80-85 years.
First of all he has to stop smoking as soon as possible.
Enroll himself in Pulmonary Rehabilitation center where chest physiotherapy and deep breathing exercises are done. These will improve his lung functions.
Give him adult Pulmonary vaccines like pneumococcal and Influenza vaccines to prevent recurrent respiratory tract infection.
Please let me know the name of inhaler he is taking.
Also let me know whether he has taken vaccines or not.
I will be happy to help you further. Wishing good health to your father. Thanks.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Neel Kudchadkar
Only flu vaccines .i can't remember name of inhaler but he does get breathless at times . He also had triple bypass 4 years ago and one side of heart is permanently damaged they said
Brief Answer:
Is he taking low dose diuretics?
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for your follow up question on Health Care Magic.
By your history and description, possibility of COPD related right sided heart failure is more. This is known as cor Pulmonale (corP).
And diuretics should be given in such cases to decrease fluid overload.
Combination of long acting beta 2 agonist (LABA) and inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) is more useful.
Long acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA) are also useful in severe COPD patients.
With proper treatment and monitoring, he can live for atleast 4-5 years.
Hope I have solved your query.
I will be happy to help you further.
Wishing good health to your father.
Thanks.
Is he taking low dose diuretics?
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for your follow up question on Health Care Magic.
By your history and description, possibility of COPD related right sided heart failure is more. This is known as cor Pulmonale (corP).
And diuretics should be given in such cases to decrease fluid overload.
Combination of long acting beta 2 agonist (LABA) and inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) is more useful.
Long acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA) are also useful in severe COPD patients.
With proper treatment and monitoring, he can live for atleast 4-5 years.
Hope I have solved your query.
I will be happy to help you further.
Wishing good health to your father.
Thanks.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Prasad
He had heart damage not for copd. It was after he suffered a silent heart attack 4 years ago then had a triply bypass n then was found to hsve copd.
Can copd get worse slowly Even with inhalers ?
Can copd get worse slowly Even with inhalers ?
Brief Answer:
Yes, COPD can worsen slowly even with inhalers.
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for your follow up question on Health Care Magic.
I can understand your concern.
Yes, COPD is chronic, progressive disease.
And inhaled treatment will slow down the progression of disease but slow progression is always there.
With every exacerbation (breathlessness) of COPD there is add on lung damage. And this damage is irreversible. So even with inhalers, COPD is slowly progressive.
Hope I have solved your query.
If you are not having further queries, then please close the conversation and rate my answer.
You can ask me directly on bit.ly/askdrkaushalbhavsar.
Wishing good health to your father. Thanks.
Yes, COPD can worsen slowly even with inhalers.
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for your follow up question on Health Care Magic.
I can understand your concern.
Yes, COPD is chronic, progressive disease.
And inhaled treatment will slow down the progression of disease but slow progression is always there.
With every exacerbation (breathlessness) of COPD there is add on lung damage. And this damage is irreversible. So even with inhalers, COPD is slowly progressive.
Hope I have solved your query.
If you are not having further queries, then please close the conversation and rate my answer.
You can ask me directly on bit.ly/askdrkaushalbhavsar.
Wishing good health to your father. Thanks.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Shanthi.E
With treatment it's not very serous then right ?
Brief Answer:
Yes, with treatment it is not serious.
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for your follow up question on HCM.
With proper treatment and regular pulmonologist 's follow up, COPD is not very serious.
Hope I have solved your query.
If you are not having further queries, then please close the conversation and rate my answer.
You can ask me directly on bit.ly/askdrkaushalbhavsar.
Wishing good health to your father.
Thanks.
Yes, with treatment it is not serious.
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for your follow up question on HCM.
With proper treatment and regular pulmonologist 's follow up, COPD is not very serious.
Hope I have solved your query.
If you are not having further queries, then please close the conversation and rate my answer.
You can ask me directly on bit.ly/askdrkaushalbhavsar.
Wishing good health to your father.
Thanks.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Vaishalee Punj
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